Enter the supplier FOB price
Enter the FOB price quoted by the supplier for one unit of the product.
A supplier's FOB price is only one part of the total cost of importing goods. International freight, insurance, customs duty, VAT or GST, clearance, port charges and inland delivery can materially increase your effective cost per unit.
Use this calculator to turn an FOB quotation into a practical preliminary landed-cost estimate before confirming an import order.
Enter the supplier FOB price and expected international and destination costs. The calculator estimates customs value, import duty, tax, landed order cost and landed cost per unit.
Estimates generated by this calculator are for preliminary planning only. Actual manufacturing cost, finished weight, material consumption, packing, freight, duty, container utilization or other commercial results may vary according to construction, specifications, production method and supplier.
An FOB quotation tells a buyer the price of goods delivered by the supplier to the agreed port of shipment under Free On Board terms. It does not represent the total cost of getting those products into the buyer's warehouse.
The difference between FOB price and landed cost can be substantial. International freight, cargo insurance, customs duty, import VAT or GST, brokerage, terminal handling, destination transportation and other charges can all increase the effective product cost.
Primeval's FOB to Landed Cost Calculator helps importers, wholesale buyers, retailers, sourcing teams and private-label brands estimate these additional expenses before confirming an overseas purchase order.
Understanding landed cost is particularly important when comparing suppliers from different countries, evaluating target retail margins or deciding whether a quoted FOB price fits the buyer's commercial model.
Enter your specifications and use the result as a practical starting point for product, sourcing and shipment planning.
Enter the FOB price quoted by the supplier for one unit of the product.
The calculator multiplies unit FOB price by quantity to determine the total FOB goods value.
Enter expected international transport and cargo-insurance costs to estimate the customs-value base used by this planning model.
Add the applicable duty rate and VAT, GST or similar import tax based on your destination market and product classification.
Include customs brokerage, terminal charges, inland transport, testing, finance and other known import expenses.
The calculator combines the entered costs and shows the estimated total landed order value, landed cost per unit and percentage increase above the original FOB price.
The calculator begins with the total FOB goods value. Freight and insurance are added to create an estimated customs value. Duty is calculated on that customs value. Import tax is then estimated using customs value plus duty under the calculator's general planning model. Destination and clearance expenses are added afterward.
See how typical values translate into a useful planning estimate.
A buyer importing 1,000 units should evaluate the international and destination expenses in addition to the supplier's quoted FOB unit price.
A supplier with a lower FOB price is not automatically the lower-cost option if freight, duty treatment or destination expenses differ materially.
Once the landed cost per unit is known, buyers can use that figure as a more meaningful basis for wholesale or retail margin calculations.
When a warehouse is located far from the destination port, inland transport can create a meaningful additional cost per imported unit.
FOB price and landed cost represent different stages of an international transaction.
An FOB quotation generally reflects the seller's responsibility up to the point defined by the Free On Board Incoterm. A landed-cost calculation goes further by considering the costs required to import and move the goods to the buyer's chosen destination.
This distinction is important because a product quoted at $8 FOB may ultimately cost considerably more after freight, duty, tax and destination handling are allocated.
The exact definition depends on the buyer's accounting policy and the point at which the cost is measured. A practical import landed-cost model may include the following components.
FOB stands for Free On Board. It is an Incoterm commonly associated with sea and inland-waterway transport.
The commercial meaning of FOB should be interpreted using the applicable Incoterms rules and the named port of shipment. Buyers should therefore avoid treating the word FOB as merely another term for factory price.
A quotation such as FOB Nhava Sheva or FOB Mundra identifies a specific commercial delivery point and should be evaluated together with the agreed Incoterm version and purchase contract.
Customs authorities may use defined valuation rules when calculating import duty. Depending on the importing country, freight, insurance and other adjustments may be included in or excluded from the customs-value base.
This calculator uses FOB goods value plus international freight and insurance as a general planning customs base. It should not be treated as a substitute for the valuation rules of a specific customs jurisdiction.
The Harmonized System classification of a product is a critical input in import planning because it can determine the applicable customs duty and other regulatory requirements.
Products that appear commercially similar can sometimes fall under different tariff classifications depending on composition, construction or intended use.
Customs duty is an additional import cost that can significantly change the economics of a sourcing decision. Even a relatively small duty percentage becomes commercially meaningful on a large shipment.
For example, an 8% duty applied to a customs value of $10,000 creates an estimated $800 duty expense. On a shipment of 1,000 units, that represents approximately $0.80 per unit before considering import tax or destination handling.
Customs duty and import VAT or GST are separate concepts. Duty is generally tariff-related, while VAT or GST forms part of a country's consumption-tax system.
Businesses may in some jurisdictions be able to recover qualifying import VAT or GST, while in other situations it may represent an effective cost. Buyers should therefore distinguish between cash required at import and non-recoverable landed cost when building their own financial model.
International freight should be allocated across the imported quantity when evaluating true product economics. A $2,000 freight charge spread across 10,000 units adds $0.20 per unit, while the same freight charge on only 1,000 units adds $2.00 per unit.
This is one reason why order quantity, carton efficiency and shipping method can dramatically change the landed-cost outcome.
Ocean and air freight can create very different cost structures. Ocean freight is often used for commercial home-textile orders because of shipment volume, while air freight may be chosen for samples, urgent replenishment or smaller shipments.
Importers sometimes focus on FOB price and headline freight while underestimating destination costs. Customs clearance, terminal handling, documentation, delivery orders, storage and inland transport can materially affect the final landed amount.
The importance of these charges increases when shipment quantities are small because fixed costs are allocated across fewer product units.
When two suppliers quote different prices, comparing only FOB values can produce the wrong commercial conclusion.
A supplier with a slightly higher FOB price may still provide a lower landed cost if freight is lower, carton utilization is better, tariff treatment is more favourable or destination handling is simpler.
For serious sourcing analysis, buyers should compare products using equivalent specifications and the same landed-cost boundary.
Many import expenses are fixed or semi-fixed for a shipment. Customs brokerage, documentation, delivery and certain terminal charges do not necessarily increase in direct proportion to the number of products.
As a result, a larger order may distribute fixed logistics costs across more units and reduce landed cost per piece, although inventory commitment and working capital also increase.
Home-textile buyers sourcing cushions, rugs, throws, curtains, bedding and related products should evaluate landed cost before setting wholesale or retail prices.
Bulky products can have relatively low factory prices but significant freight costs. Dense rugs and carpets can create weight-related logistics considerations, while cushions and bedding can consume substantial cubic volume.
A buyer who calculates gross margin from FOB cost alone may substantially overestimate profitability. The more meaningful starting point is usually the cost incurred to bring the product to the point defined by the buyer's landed-cost policy.
Once landed cost per unit is calculated, it can be compared against wholesale or retail selling price using Primeval's Wholesale Margin Calculator.
| Cost Component | Example | Cost Stage |
|---|---|---|
| FOB Goods | $8,500 | Supplier value |
| International Freight | $1,200 | International transport |
| Cargo Insurance | $75 | Transit |
| Customs Duty | Depends on HS code | Import |
| VAT / GST | Depends on destination | Import |
| Customs Brokerage | $150 | Clearance |
| Port Charges | $275 | Destination |
| Inland Freight | $350 | Warehouse delivery |
This calculator is intended for preliminary commercial planning. It does not determine the correct HS code, legal customs value, preferential origin, anti-dumping duty, excise tax, import licensing, VAT recovery or any other country-specific customs treatment.
Before placing an import order, confirm applicable customs and tax requirements using official tariff information and qualified professional advice where appropriate.
The lowest FOB quote is not automatically the lowest-cost sourcing option. Compare suppliers on equivalent specifications and calculate the full cost required to bring the goods to the same destination point.
Do not compare an EXW quotation directly with FOB or CIF without adjusting for the different cost responsibilities.
Fabric GSM, construction, packing, finishing and quality standards should be equivalent.
Poor packing efficiency can increase freight cost per unit.
Different tariff treatment can materially change landed cost.
Trade agreements may affect duty where qualifying origin rules are satisfied.
Freight markets can change, so old shipment rates may create misleading landed-cost estimates.
Primeval helps international buyers source home textiles from India and evaluate commercial requirements before placing production orders.
Share your product specifications, quantity, packing requirements, target price and destination market. Use this calculator to understand the gap between an FOB supplier quotation and your potential landed cost.
Helpful answers about calculations, sourcing estimates and commercial planning.
Share your product specification, target quantity, destination and target buying price with Primeval. We help international buyers move from import-cost planning to actual sourcing and factory pricing in India.